


the tar in your lungs isn’t in your heart

by Raphael_Stantiago



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I mean, Lung Cancer, M/M, Nurse/Patient Au, can you tell i don’t know how to tag, don’t judge me for the title i didn’t know what to put ok, no beta we die like men, with all the smoking he does we knew it was going to happen, you’d think reading tags would prepare you but nooo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:42:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23925583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raphael_Stantiago/pseuds/Raphael_Stantiago
Summary: Andrew didn’t know why he had even bothered to come here. The grey building loomed in front of him, it’s shadow falling over everything around it. Andrew hadn’t been to a hospital since Aaron had had to have his tonsils taken out and that had been an... experience. And not one he was keen to repeat.~A nurse/patient au where Andrew has lung cancer and Neil didn’t want anyone else to suffer like he did if he could help it.
Relationships: Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	1. Chapter 1

Andrew didn’t know why he had even bothered to come here. The grey building loomed in front of him, it’s shadow falling over everything around it. Andrew hadn’t been to a hospital since Aaron had had to have his tonsils taken out and that had been an... experience. And not one he was keen to repeat. 

But, Bee had seemed worried about him the last few times he had seen her and even though Andrew knew he was fine, if it appeased her he would do it. He sighed, and opened the revolving door as he entered the lobby. He immediately knew this was a mistake as garish orange glared at him from all sides, fox paw prints littering the floor and guiding the way too the reception desk. Before Andrew had time to turn around however, a bright voice caught his attention,  
“Sir honestly, we cannot fit in your appointment today. There are no more available spots and it would be unfair to our patients to make them wait for you.”   
“I’m not ASKING you I am TELLING you. THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT AND I AM THE CUSTOMER. I demand you fit me in TODAY. My wife is counting on this appointment for our two year old. DO YOU WANT HIM TO SUFFER?”   
A man was standing at the counter and was clearly annoyed. He had clearly been telling the guy in front of him the same thing for a while but since he had children clearly he thought he had the right to abuse the poor employee.  
“Sir i’m sorry- no I am not going to call my manager. He is busy and he’s just going to tell you the same thing as I am. SIR! This is a family friendly establishment! I am going to have to ask you to leave if you are using that language in here!”  
The man leans forward and grabbed the employee by the wrist, clearly intent on forcing him to somehow input his appointment into the system. The poor boy flinched minutely, but it was enough.  
“Let him go.” Andrew hasn’t even realised he had moved, but his knives were in his hand and pressed against the mans stomach before he had time to blink. “He clearly said there is no way to do what you are asking, so let. Him. Go.” The man blinked in surprise before a snear flickered onto his face.   
“And what are you gonna do about it? Stab me?” Andrew grinned, a cruel thing filled with teeth and he pressed the knife in just enough to draw blood,  
“Do you really want to find out?” The man squeaked at the unexpected pain, and clearly realised he had lost the fight. Andrew stepped back and the man waited for a few seconds before realising he could go, and left the clinic as fast as possible without looking suspicious. 

“Thanks for that, i’d been telling him the same thing for ten minutes before that point. Some people just can’t take a hint huh.” Andrew turned around, and finally took in the man in front of him. He had auburn hair curling atop his ears and the bluest eyes Andrew had ever seen. Scars littered his face and the skin he could see but he didn’t seem bothered. The name tag attached to his chest proclaimed him as Neil. “My name’s Neil by the way.” Andrew raised his eyebrow.  
“I know.”  
“What? Oh right,” The man- Neil laughed, and it was the warmest sound Andrew had ever heard. The noise seemed to travel through his skin and settled down in his stomachs, a fuzzy feeling Andrew had never felt before. He could feel the tips of his ears burning but kept his face carefully blank. “My name tag probably gave it away didn’t it. Anyway, do you have an appointment?”   
“Yeah, the names Minyard. I’m at eleven.”  
“Andrew is it?” He looked up and searched his face for something, he seemed satisfied even though Andrew hadn’t changed anything. “Yep! Your appointment is running late by a few minutes so you should take a seat, but don’t worry! I’m your nurse today!” Andrew must have looked confused, though how he found that in his face was beyond him, because he continued talking. “I know what you are probably thinking, why are you at the reception desk if you are a nurse? Well, Laila, that’s the person who was supposed to be here, got the flu from her girlfriend so she can’t be here and there wasn’t anyone else to cover her shift because Jeremy was off visiting his family so I said I would do it! Everyone was booked so usually it wouldn’t be an issue it’s just some annoying people sometimes come.” Andrew didn’t know why he was still listening to the attractive (wait attractive? Andrew did NOT think they man rambling in front of him was attractive thank you very much) man speak, but he was. Before he could make a bigger fool of himself, he turned around and sat in an empty, bright orange, seat. The main, totally unfazed, called out a goodbye and continued typing on his phone. 

The man was going to be in the doctors office with him. Andrew was fucked.


	2. Chapter 2

“Minyard?” Andrew had been waiting ten minutes longer than the five Neil had said he would have too, before he was finally called into the doctors office. Ordinarily, he would have left, but something was keeping him here that he couldn’t explain. It didn’t help that the fuzzy feeling in his stomach came back almost as a soon as he saw Neil, but he put it down to nerves and dismissed it. 

The room he walked into had the same neon orange theme as the lobby, the orange paw prints yet again showing him the seat he was expected to sit in. He walked past it, and rather chose the one next too it. Neil chuckled and sat next too him, which didn’t increase the warm feeling at all.  
“Your doctor today is Dr. Wymack, is that alright? He’s one of the best and when he saw your appointment he chose to do it personally, which isn’t something he usually does. You must be something special huh.” Neil smiled at him, but before Andrew could reply, or tell him to stop, the door opened once more.

“Andrew! Bee said you would be coming! What’s plaguing you this time!” A burly man had entered the room, lab coat sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Fading brown hair was pushed away from his face and a smile was fixed across his mouth. A hard twinkle in his eye proved that it was, indeed, David Wymack that stood in front of him.  
“Doc. I’m fine, Bee is overreacting.”  
“You say that but I’ve never known Bee to be wrong about someone’s health. Especially not your's.” He moved to the opposite side of the desk and typed something into the computer, before turning to look at him again.  
“Now. Bee suspects something is wrong with your chest, have you felt any pain there? Anything unusual anywhere else?”  
“I’m more tired recently, and haven’t been feeling hungry at all. My chest hurts slightly when I cough but that’s it. Oh, also my fingers have changed slightly, but I put that down to not eating as much.”  
“Hmm. Andrew I have an idea as to what that would be, would you mind having a chest X-Ray?” The twinkle in his eye had disappeared, replaced with a furrow in his brow. He and Neil had shared a few pointed looks during his words, which did nothing to quell Andrew’s uneasiness.  
“Sure.”

David nodded, and looked too Neil. “Neil, please wait here with Mr. Minyard for a few moments while I get the x-ray ready.” When the younger male had acknowledged his words, he quickly left the room.  
“Does he usually assign a babysitter to his patients?” Andrew’s eyebrow had raised again and Neil chuckled at the comment.  
“What? Resentful that you have to spend the next few moments with me and only me? You wound me.”  
“And what’s so good about your company? I would much rather be left alone with expensive medical equipment to stare at the wall.” he quipped. Another laugh came from the man in next to him, he laughed a lot for someone in a medical career, as the door opened once more.

~

The rooms in the hospital all looked the same, Andrew had decided, when he stepped into yet another orange, white and grey room. This one was different at least, in the fact that it had a complicated machine in the middle of it. The x-ray.  
“Andrew, if you would mind undressing from the waist down, and putting this hospital gown and lead apron on before we can take the photos.” Andrew looked at everyone in the room, as they made no suggestion in moving.  
“Oh yes, I do love undressing in front of two people I barely know. One of the best part of my days if I could say so myself.” Neil went bright red and stuttered an apology before quickly exiting the room, Wymack following after sending a disapproving glare in his general direction. 

With everyone out of the room, Andrew made quick work of his clothes, leaving his t-shirt and jumper in a neatly folded pile. He knocked on the door to signal the others to come in, and stepped aside. “Andrew. You do need to take those armbands off.” Previously hidden by the long sleeved shirt he wore, black armbands decorated his arms. Neil's inquisitive gaze was quickly dismissed with a pointed look from Andrew. His face blank and devoid of emotion, he looked Wymack in the eye before the older man backed down.  
“Alright fine. But if this messes up the machine you're paying for it. Andrew, when you enter the room, please stand next to the ‘plate’. There will be a beeping sound for two seconds signalling you to hold your breath for a minute while the pictures are taken. This will take around twenty minutes for the whole procedure.” He nodded and moved into the, seemingly only room in the hospital without orange in it, room. There was indeed a sort of plate and as he stood, the beeping started.

~

_Bad bitch, bad bitch  
Bad, bitch, bad bitch  
Show me you can handle this_

It was eight am and Andrew’s phone was ringing. Why was he being woken up so EARLY? He mentally cursed Nicky for setting his ring tone when he heard him sniggering in the other room, but made solace with the fact that somewhere in the house Kevin was glaring at a wall while the song slammed into his ears.

“Hello?” His voice, while already groggy with sleep, was hoarser than usual. Kevin would blame it on the cigarettes, knowing him and his obsession with health. “This is Andrew Minyard. Why the fuck are you calling me so early and who are you.”  
“Mr Minyard this is Laila Dermott, I am the receptionist from Palmetto Hospital? I am calling to let you know that you need to schedule a follow up appointment with us as soon as available for you.”  
“Why the fuck would I do that? Put Wymack on the line.”  
“Mr. Minyard I can’t- ok he’s here. Putting you through.” there was a faint beeping sound as the line switched, before the deep voice of one Dr. Wymack came through his speakers.  
“Andrew. Can you make an appointment please?”  
“Why can’t you just tell me here.”  
“It’s sensitive information that’s better shared in person-“  
“I don’t care, tell me here.”  
“Fine. Andrew you have what looks like two tumours growing in your lungs. We believe you have lung cancer and would like to schedule a CT scan.” 

Andrew hung up the phone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not know anything about how hospitals or lung cancer works and am going off of what the internet says. Did you know people’s fingers change shapes with lung cancer sometimes?
> 
> Let me know if you like it! I’m sorry if I haven’t written the characters as well as i would have liked, it’s quite hard to do 😂

**Author's Note:**

> I’m sorry if this was awful, but it’s my first fic and i’m trying. I promise I will try and update this but the tags might be weird because I have no plan and will add things in. Uh, Slight blood warning and lung cancer? But i’m sure you know that’s in here.


End file.
